1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of distributed computer systems. More particularly, this invention relates to synchronizing distributed computer systems.
2. Background
Coupling together multiple processing systems such that the systems are able to work together has become common practice. Multiple independently operated processing systems coupled together are often referred to as distributed computer or hardware systems. One example of distributed computer systems is multiple client/server computer systems coupled together in a local area network (LAN).
One problem encountered with distributed computer systems is that of modifying operating systems at each of the distributed systems. Modifications to the operating system may be done for any of a wide variety of reasons, including upgrading to a new version of the operating system, installing "patches" to correct bugs in the operating system, or user-customization. Given that multiple distributed systems may need to be modified in the same way, it would be beneficial to provide a way for making a single modification which affects each of the multiple distributed systems.
Additionally, given that each distributed system may rely on one or more of the other distributed systems for successful operation, it would be beneficial to provide a way to verify that each of the distributed systems has been booted properly.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus for synchronizing distributed computer systems.